Lady Cyclones begin state run todayRussellville Lady Cyclones head volleyball coach Cindy Jones wants nothing more than to repeat as Class 6A state champions on Saturday in Hot Springs, but that road begins today in Greenwood in the Class 6A State Tournament. “I am more fired up about this tournament than probably any that I can remember,” she said. “And it’s just because I’ve never really had the feeling that we can repeat as state championship before. It’s there if we want it...

Carter's touchdownWhen Ashley Collins saw her son, Carter Roach, put on his football helmet, she couldn’t help but weep. Roach lined up at running back on a 2-point conversion attempt during the Dover Pirates fourth-grade peewee football game against the Pottsville Apaches. The quarterback took the snap, handed it to Roach, and then began pushing his wheelchair toward the end zone. “I bawled the entire time,” Collins said. “They told me they had been working on...

Atkins downs Mayflower, 35-34ATKINS — The Atkins Red Devils waited until the last minutes of the game to make their comeback and earn a victory over the Mayflower Eagles on Friday at Sorrels Stadium at Lemley Field. The Red Devils, cheered on by their fans, managed to win 35-34. Atkins (4-4, 2-3 3A-2 Conference) received the ball to start the game, but turned it over after nine plays.. The Eagles (3-5, 3-2) immediately fumbled, and it was recovered by Coby Robinson of the...

Little Johns shock No. 1 WarriorsDANVILLE — The Danville Little Johns ruined the Lamar Warriors perfect record on Friday at Little John Field — not by a little, by a lot. The Little Johns (5-3, 4-1 3A-4 Conference) outscored Lamar 40-15. The Warriors (7-1, 4-1) scored first on a 2-yard run by Dusty Wilkins. Blake Kern added the PAT to make it 7-0 with 9:07 in the first. Danville struck next with a 74-yard pass from Jake Madding to Jamey Holbrook to tie the score. Danville sco...

Apaches thump Subiaco 49-7SUBIACO — The Pottsville Apaches got back on the winning track Friday night as they traveled to Subiaco to take on the Trojans. The Apaches combined big plays and a stingy defense to route the Trojans 49-7 in 4-4A conference play. "It was good for us to get out of the gate fast tonight," Apaches head coach Bryan Rust said. "We played pretty well in the first half on both sides of the ball." Pottsville established the tone of the game with thei...

No. 1 Dardanelle vetoes Senators 44-20DARDANELLE — Sand Lizards head coach Josh Price said last week he wanted his defense to keep the Pulaski Robinson Senators out of the end zone: Bend, but don’t break. Dardanelle not only bent the Senators, but broke them. Pulaski Robinson tried to gain a first down on four occasions, but the Sand Lizards stopped them four times and got the ball over on downs. Then there was Dardanelle senior Chris Kershner, who scored six touchdowns, including...

Cyclones dominate Alma 34-7Russellville Cyclones head coach Billy Dawson said earlier this week his team needed to establish a run game if they wanted to have success against the Alma Airedales on Friday at Cyclone Stadium. Mission accomplished. Russellville (3-5, 2-3 7A/6A-Central Conference) picked up 272 yards on 53 carries during the 34-7 Senior Night victory. "I thought we played well up front," Dawson said. "I thought our defense was lights out except for a few ti...

Cyclones seek Senior Night triumphThe decision to go for the 2-point conversion rather than the point-after kick against the Van Buren Pointers last Friday at Cyclone Stadium did more than secure a 32-31 win for the Russellville Cylcones. “It has to make a difference on their confidence,” Russellville first-year head coach Billy Dawson said. “We had preached all week that we weren’t hoping to win, we were going to win. So we made the call. We decided that the game was going to...

RJHS struggles with BentonBENTON — The Russellville Whirlwinds spooked but did not defeat the undefeated Benton Junior Panthers on Thursday. The Whirlwinds took a 13-7 lead with 3:52 left in the third quarter, but Benton fired back on the next play to go up 14-13. The Junior Panthers eventually won 21-13. The Whirlwinds (3-5, 2-5 River Valley Central Conference) couldn’t capitalize on two Benton turnovers but were able to head to halftime with a 7-7 tie. Benton tossed ...

Hudson wins back-to-back tennis titles JONESBORO — Pottsville Apaches tennis player Kyle Hudson won the 2015 Class 4A singles state championship on Monday and Tuesday. Hudson earned the 2014 championship with his brother Nathan Hudson last year, but was forced to play singles after Nathan suffered an ACL injury earlier in the season. “Back-to-back state championships is a phenomenal accomplishment,” Pottsville head coach Keri McAlister said. Losing his brother, who was his partner ...

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Courier sports staffThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Pirates hold pep rally at Pediatrics PlusSome things are more important than football. That’s the lesson Dover Pirates head coach Greg Smith hopes his players take away from a pep rally at Pediatrics Plus in Russellville put on by the Dover football team, cheerleaders and band. “I guarantee my players will come away from this with their hearts touched,” Smith said. “There are many things more important than this game of football that we play, and that’s serving others with the gifts ...

Graves sets record during Panthers’ lossCLARKSVILLE — Panthers wide receiver Jeff Graves had plenty to celebrate after Clarkville’s 54-48 loss on Friday at Metheny Field. Sure, the scoreboard didn’t look the way he wanted, but the senior broke two school records against the Harrison Golden Goblins. Graves now holds the record for most reception yards in a game at 247 and the most touchdown catches in a season at 13. Graves wasn’t the only Clarksville player with bloated numbers. The...

Forca to hold free women’s self defense seminarCora Sanders, co-owner and head female coach at Forca Martial Arts and Fitness, will offer a free women’s self-defense seminar called “Fight Like a Girl” on Saturday at Forca Martial Arts. Participants will learn and practice basic techniques that will be applicable in a legitimate self-defense scenario, Sanders said. “‘Fight like a Girl’ is a phrase that empowers women to be strong in more than one way,” Sanders said. “Since October is Breast...

Lizards to host unbeaten SenatorsDARDANELLE — What does Sand Lizards head coach Josh Price expect from the incoming Pulaski Robinson Senators on Friday at Keenan Field for sole control of the 4A-4 Conference? Simple: The most talented team Dardanelle has faced in two years or more. “It is a big game,” Price said. “There is no doubt. They’re a year older and a year better than last year. They return a lot guys, kind of like we did in 2013-14, but then you add in the three move...

Johnson, Thessing place 3rd at stateRussellville Cyclones tennis players Bryce Johnson and Carter Thessing placed third in the Class 6A State Tennis Tournament hosted at Russellville High School and Arkansas Tech University on Monday and Tuesday. Johnson and Thessing defeated Texarkana in the first round of the tournament before topping Benton in the quarterfinals to reach the semifinals. Johnson/Thessing lost 6-2, 6-2 to McKee/Edwards from Jonesboro in the semifinals but defeat...

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Courier sports staffThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

RJHS Lady Whirlwinds take second at LH InviteLAKE HAMILTON — The Russellville Cyclones and Lady Cyclones cross country teams recently competed in the Lake Hamilton Invitational. The Lady Whirlwinds placed second with 63 points and wer eled by Charissa Helms with her 10th place finish in 13:55.33. Emily Austin placed 14th in 14:04.18. Other top finishers for the Lady Whirlwinds were Angel Henning (14:08.04), Selena Vazquez (14:14.19), Lauren Skartvedt (14:13.81) and Diana Nava (14:33.92)....

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Courier sports staffThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Saints release local kicker Zach HockerNEW ORLEANS — The New Orleans Saints released former Russellville Cyclones and Arkansas Razorback kicker Zach Hocker on Monday after seven weeks in the NFL. Hocker missed field-goal attempts from 51 and 48-yards out during the Saints' win over the Falcons. Hocker also missed a 30-yard field goal attempt in Week 4 that would have given New Orleans a win over the Cowboys. The Saints went on to win that game in overtime, but Hocker's kicking came...

Pirates shock Pottsville 29-14POTTSVILLE — The Dover Pirates took advantage of Pottsville Apaches miscues in the second quarter, and the Apaches were never able to recover. Dover scored two second quarter touchdowns and amassed a lead that Pottsville was never able to overcome on the way to a 29-14 win on Friday at John Needham Stadium. Dover received the opening kick and promptly drove 62 yards on 10 plays to take a 6-0 lead with 5:42 left in the opening quarter. Luke Pri...

Warriors overcome Charleston 38-20LAMAR — Warriors head coach Josh Jones was proud of the way his team responded to adversity during their 38-20 win over the Charleston Tigers on Friday at Warrior Field. Quarterback and central cog in the Lamar (7-0, 3-0 4A-4 Conference) offense Hunter Davenport left the game with injury early in the first quarter and Dusty Wilkins had to fill in at quarterback. "Hunter is such a huge part of our offense," Jones said. "It would have been very ...

Danville topples Lavaca 62-34LAVACA — The Danville Little Johns defeated the Lavaca Golden Arrows 62-34 on Friday. Danville went up 12-0 in the first quarter on two touchdown runs by quarterback Jake Madding. Lavaca answered with a 15-yard run by Landon Graves. The Little Johns went up 18-7 on a 1-yard run by Madding, but the Golden Arrows pulled within 18-14 late in the first quarter. Madding — who finished the night with over 200 yards rushing and six touchdowns — score...